Two New Sciences

by the extreme support; whence its own excessive weight made it do what it would not have done if it had rested only upon the first two, because upon the sagging of either of them, it would have followed it. And here one cannot doubt that such an accident would not have happened to a small Column, although of the same stone and of length corresponding to its thickness with the same proportion of thickness and length as the large Column.

Sagredo. Up to here I remain assured of the truth of the effect, but I do not yet penetrate the reason why, as matter increases, the resistance and strength should not multiply with the same ratio; and I am all the more confused, as on the contrary, I see in other cases the robustness and resistance to breaking increase much more than the thickening of the matter increases; for if, for example, there are two nails driven into a wall, one twice as thick as the other, the former will support not only double the weight of the latter, but triple or quadruple.

Salviati. Say octuple, and you will not be far from the truth: nor does this effect contradict the other, even though in appearance it seems so different.

Sagredo. Therefore, Mr. Salviati, clear these reefs for us, and explain these obscurities to us, if you have the means: for I conjecture that this matter of resistances is a field full of beautiful and useful contemplations, and if you are content that this be the subject of our discussions of today, to me, and I believe to Mr. Simplicio, it will be most welcome.

Salviati. I cannot fail to serve you, provided that memory serves me in supplying what I once learned from our Accademico referring to himself as a member of the Accademia dei Lincei, who had made many speculations on such matter, and all according to his custom Geometrically demonstrated: so that not without reason this of his could be called a new science; for although some of the conclusions have been observed by others, and before anyone else by Aristotle, nevertheless they are not the most beautiful, nor (that...